


The Best Things Come When You Don’t Even Try

by Brookelinn



Category: Crooked Media RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-10
Updated: 2019-04-10
Packaged: 2020-01-11 01:05:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18419645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Brookelinn/pseuds/Brookelinn
Summary: The Daily Mail article goes up and Ronan has some FEELINGS about it.





	The Best Things Come When You Don’t Even Try

Lovett’s phone dings with a text:

Ronan:

Did you see the story that the Daily Mail just put out? It calls you my “boyfriend” IN THE HEADLINE They don’t even have the courtesy to call you by your name! That’s some journalistic bullshit, and I ought to know

Lovett:

Wait… what’s the story even about? Hold on, I’m going to go read it. The picture in the inset isn’t even ME! And the picture they used IN the article is quite possibly the WORST picture I’ve EVER taken! Can I sue?

Ronan:

I love every picture of you. But no, I don’t think you can sue. It’s not libelous.

Lovett:

Whatever. I wish they would’ve used the picture of us from the Vanity Fair party instead… even if it was the Chrissy Teigen/John Legend one!

Ronan:

How do you feel about the rest of the headline????

Lovett:

I mean, it’s fine. It’s a weird way to phrase what happened, but it seems to be pretty on-par for the Daily Mail. The article is WAY too long though.

Ronan:

You like the headline? Being called my BOYFRIEND is okay with you?

Lovett:

They could’ve put “partner” but I think they were trying to drive home the point that we’re together, and partner could be construed as business associates LOL

Ronan:

I hate it! I think it’s an awful headline

I think I’m going to see if Remnick knows anyone at the Daily Mail that I can talk to about it

Lovett:

I think that’s a little overkill, don’t you babe?

Ronan:

NO! As a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist (shut UP) I think that there should be journalistic integrity, especially in pieces that include my name, AND it’s poorly written and inaccurate!

Lovett:

I mean, it’s not entirely inaccurate though… what they say is just a repetition of the NYTMag story and it’s actually what happened, so…

Ronan:

But calling you my boyfriend?! That has absolutely NOTHING to do with what you actually did in that situation, which was speak truth to power

Lovett:

Ro, why does this bother you so much?? I said I was fine with it, what’s got you so up in arms about this? Did you not sleep well?

Ronan:

IT JUST… IT MINIMIZES WHO YOU ARE TO ME! The monumental importance of you in my life is just… diminished to this trite word of “boyfriend” ugh

We’re not on Love Island, these are our real lives and it is disappointing to have the best thing in my world (YOU) boiled down to some overused word

Lovett:

Babe, I get it. But if you’re really honest about it, would the word “partner” have been better?

Ronan:

No, it would not have been better. It still doesn’t express what our relationship is...how much it means to me and to you.

Lovett: Okay, but what word would you have rather them use? Paramour? Beau? Unfortunately, the english language isn’t full of words to describe an almost 8 year long relationship that has withstood dueling coasts, multiple different career paths, the inception of a media conglomerate, the MeToo avenging… there isn’t a word for that.

Ronan:

……..remember the cab story?

Lovett:

Ro, you’ve told that story so many times that it’s now your Lady Gaga-esque story.

Yes, I remember the cab story.

Also, I was there, soooooo

Ronan:

You know that I always refer to you as my “partner” when I tell it, right?

Lovett:

Right, I’ve heard that once or twice. :)

Ronan:

Well, a few months ago, I was telling the story at that talk with Kara and I hadn’t slept much and I slipped up and called you something else.

I kept checking all over the internet but it kind of faded into oblivion, so I didn’t think to tell you about it.

Lovett:

What? That’s super unlike you. Why are you telling me now? What’d you call me? DID YOU CALL ME YOUR BOYFRIEND?! LOL! Is that why you’re so upset about this? Because you’ve hidden it from me and now it’s pulling it out of the box you locked it into?

Ronan:

No, Jonathan, I did NOT (nor would I EVER) call you my boyfriend.

Lovett:

Okayyyy… what’d you call me then?

Ronan:

……… my spouse.

Lovett:

Whoa. That’s a little weird because you’ve never done that before and it seems super odd that it’d come out at THAT time.

What made you say it?

Ronan:

I don’t know, honestly. It just slipped out. I didn’t even realize I’d said it until Kara mentioned it to me off stage. She said that I just said it like it was nothing and kept going.

And honestly, I keep thinking about it. Trying to figure out what would make my subconcious blurt it out at that moment.

Lovett:

Okay, and have you come to any conclusion about that?

Ronan:

Not really.

I think that deep down, you and I both know that this relationship is forever. We’ve seen each other through some incredibly dark moments, and we make each other better. We fit together perfectly and even though we’ve almost always been long distance, we both know that eventually we’re going to end up in the same place. And when I think about my life in the future, the only constant thing that’s there is you. And if that isn’t what a spouse is supposed to be, I don’t know what is.

 

……

 

Ronan:

Jonathan? Did you fall asleep?

Lovett:

No, I’m here.

Processing.

Ronan:

Oh. OH. I… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything. I just… I don’t like to keep secrets from you and I hate that I kept this one for so long… let’s just forget all about--

Lovett:

RONAN.

Ronan:

...yeah?

Lovett:

Everything you just said is exactly how I’ve felt about you for as long as I can remember.

You’re the other half to me. You love me in ways that I never thought I’d earn or be lucky enough to have.

Ronan:

Jonathan, you deserve everything.

You’re… you’re just… you’re EVERYTHING.

Lovett:

I love you, Ronan. I’ve loved you since we met, and likely since before that.

Ronan:

I love you too. So much.

Lovett:

So… spouse. I kind of like the sound of that.

HUSBAND. I like the sound of that even more.

Ronan:

Wow. Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard you say that…. I like the sound of it more than I should, I think.

Lovett:

I just never said it because I didn’t know if that was where we were.

We’re both trying to change the world in our own ways, but I wouldn’t be where I am today without your constant support. Now that it’s just OUT THERE, I feel like it should’ve always been.

Ronan:

God, Jonathan, I’ve been thinking about how you’d react for so long and I kept letting my imagination run away with me with a thousand negative outcomes…

It’s taking me a minute to reconcile that this conversation is a GOOD thing.

Lovett:

Take your time, babe. It’s a lot, that’s for sure…

But, while you’re taking your time, let’s think about this…

If I wanted to actually CALL you my husband, I think there’s some paperwork involved in that.

And I’m sure a ceremony of some kind would be called for, unless we never want our mothers to speak to us ever again.

Ronan:

Definitely. As much as I enjoy keeping my private life, well, PRIVATE, I think we’d be ostracized by all of our friends and family if we just up and eloped.

We did just buy a new house together.

And I AM spending a lot more time in L.A. with the HBO show….

Lovett:

Ro?

Ronan:

Yeah?

Lovett:

Marry me.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Banged this little fix out in the middle of the workday to avoid doing ACTUAL work. 
> 
> Inspired by a post on tumblr. 
> 
> Tried to find the audio of Ronan saying “spouse” but I couldn’t.


End file.
